Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.

Jan 27 Grant Wiggins & Blogging

One of the reasons I started blogging as a reflective practice in teaching was due to the encouragement of my Vice-Principal, A.Ng. While it's only been a few months since it started, I've benefitted much from this blog. Recently, I stumbled upon Grant Wiggins (Understanding by Design)blog on Twitter and it is his blog that I aspire for mine to become.

Firstly, his blog is clearly a reflection journal where he pens his thoughts, reflections and opinions. Most blogs I've seen are a record of what a particular teacher did and how it worked. There might be some thoughts at the end but it isn't the focus of the post. Otherwise, it is a commentary on recent events in the world of education. These are interesting but not always helpful. In review, this blog does look like that in part.

It's one thing to give opinions and make comments on what's happening in the world of education. It's another to reflect and think carefully about the experiences and events that greet us everyday.

What excites me most are the comments that follow each post. While the number might not be much to boast about, the discussions are thoughtful and takes his reflections further. I'd be surprised if Grant hasn't benefitted from the comments of his readers. A thoughtful discussion or debate is a key element in becoming an educated person. A big motivation for me to be open about my thoughts and reflections is so that it undergoes the fire of critique and examination. Whatever remains at the end of that refinement will be, in some sense, the gold nuggets of my growth as an educator.

The Broken Teacheah is a young blog and hasn't seen as much activity as I'd wish. But I hope it will become like that of Grant and become a place where diverse educators can come to engage in thoughtful discussions about teaching and learning. In the meantime, I do expect myself to be posting responses to his posts and I'll be making the effort to be a part of the discussions in his blog as well.